Acne Topics

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

DIY Makeup Recipe: Homemade Foundation Face Powder

Finding a good powder foundation for my face has become somewhat of an art for me. I spend hours looking at labels and reading ingredient lists before deciding on purchasing a makeup product that I'll be applying to my face. Part of this is due to the fact that I don't want to run the risk of breaking out. Obviously I'm a huge fan of natural remedies for treating and preventing acne, but just recently I came across the idea of making my own all-natural makeup products as well. I'll be honest, I'm not a big makeup person, but I do wear mascara and foundation powder on a regular basis. I try to avoid liquid foundation because it really exacerbates my acne and clogs up my pores resulting in major breakouts. I've found that loose foundation powder works great for my particular skin type (combination breakout-prone). It covers up blemishes and evens out my skin without being too heavy. If I need extra coverage I'll even mix a bit of my loose powder with a few drops of water and then apply it so it is actually more like a liquid without the heaviness.

Tonight I decided to make my own all-natural foundation powder. Homemade makeup just sounds genius to me! I wasn't expecting it to work out well, but I was really surprised to find that the powder I made actually is comparable to powders that I purchase for $15 or more! Not to mention it's completely natural and homemade, which means it doesn't have any harmful chemicals or irritants! Major bonus!

If you're interested in making your own face powder, here's how:

Ingredients:

Pure corn starch

Natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Natural ground cinnamon

You'll need a small container with a lid to store your powder. I just used a small bowl with a tight fitting lid. To make your powder you'll first need to start with a base of about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add small amounts of cocoa and cinnamon until you get the right tone for your skin. I can't give exact measures because it really depends on your skin tone. Darker skin = more cocoa powder and cinnamon, light skin = less cocoa powder and cinnamon. Also, if you have a tan complexion you may want to note that the cinnamon has a slightly reddish tint and the cocoa is more of a brown undertone, so mix the two until you get something that matches well with your coloring. When you think you have the right color, simply test it out on your cheek. If it's not quite right, keep playing with the mixture. If you find that you've made it too dark, just add a little more cornstarch to lighten it up.

Apply the mixture as you would any other loose powder. Make sure you mix it really well to get rid of clumps. You can even use a sifter if you want a really fine powder, but honestly it goes on fine either way. I use a regular powder brush (I looove my Eco Tools powder brush!) to apply my homemade face powder.

Total cost:

$1.67 for the cornstarch

$3.00 for the cinnamon

$2.99 for the cocoa

That's a total of $7.66 for several months supply of foundation powder! Not to mention you have plenty of ingredients left over for multiple batches, most likely six months or more! Taking into account that most high quality mineral foundations run upwards of $20 for a small container, I'd say this is definitely the smart way to go! I would choose homemade makeup over store-bought junk any day!

*For those with acne prone skin, this foundation powder is an excellent option. Not only is it a healthier option, but the cinnamon is great for treating and preventing breakouts because it has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties!